Getting a mortgage for the first time can be very exciting, since it’s an indication that you are just about to finally get your own home. However, it can present with a few difficulties as well, particularly when you are not sure about what to expect or what the technical difficulties you are likely to face are. To this end, it’s usually a good idea to know of some of the common pitfalls that people tend to find themselves in when getting the mortgages, so that you don’t end up making the same mistakes. There are some that are particularly deleterious to one’s finances, and which should therefore be avoided as much as possible.
It’s important to note that there are many people who advocate for young people to get a mortgage. Some of the benefits of doing this include having enough time for you to repay the loan. This also increases the chances of you completing the payments earlier than usual. However, you also need to note that when you are young, chances are that you will have a less stable financial grounding. Taking on a significant responsibility such as a mortgage should not be taken lightly. Some of the things you need to avoid as a young person include:
Not going through the terms will land you in trouble
On the surface, it might seem a bit irresponsible for one to not go through the terms and conditions of a mortgage before signing the dotted line. However, you will find that there are many people who find themselves in exactly the same situation. The consequences of this include finding that you don’t benefit from the mortgage as much as you had anticipated you would.
Going through the terms of a mortgage is not a simple matter of reading the paperwork; you also need to understand the terms in the context of your life. For instance, there are some mortgage products that will charge you a penalty if you make an overpayment. This means that if you anticipate to try and finish off your loan by finding sources of money elsewhere and using them to top up the monthly payments, you may end up spending even more on the mortgage.
The best way to avoid finding yourself in difficulties on account of not understanding the terms is by sitting down with the staff from the company offering the product and then going through the terms clause by clause.
Over optimism can be detrimental
Another common problem that afflicts young people who are getting mortgages is having too much optimism in the future, and in the way they are going to handle the loans. For instance, you might come up with a grand plan on how you will double your salary within the next few years. While such goals are good, they are not an ideal basis for making serious long term financial decisions such as getting a mortgage. Rather than using your predicted future circumstances to get the loan, try to work with what you currently have. This way, you will avoid burdening yourself with too much debt which might eventually damage your finances totally.
Making rushed decisions can be a disadvantage
Always spend some time thinking about the decisions you are about to make when it comes to mortgages. For instance, if you get preapproved for a mortgage, don’t be in a rush to sign the documents to get the money. It’s better for you to mull things over for a few days at least, so that you can then have enough time to digest it. Resisting the temptation to rush things might be hard for some, but it will definitely be worth it.
The same goes for other decisions including choosing which house to buy. You should always avoid making snap decisions based on your emotions rather than on practical issues such as what you really need.
Not consulting a professional is one of the worst kinds of mistakes
Consulting a professional might be cumbersome and a bit expensive for some. However, in many cases, it will help you avoid many of the technical pitfalls that many people find themselves in when getting a mortgage for the first time. Even if you are not keen on getting a professional to help you out, you should at least consider learning more about how mortgages work as well as what their advantages and disadvantages are.
Getting distracted by the hype will not help
Once you have decided to get a mortgage, you need to train yourself to filter out all the hype that salespeople will have when trying to sell you a mortgage. This can only be done when you have a very clear idea of what type of mortgage you want, so that you can use this as the yardstick to test the quality of any mortgage. This way, only the true essence of the mortgage will matter to you in the end.
